


The offer still stands

by urbangurl123



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Actor!Harry, Help, M/M, No Smut, Professor!Louis, cheesy shit, fluffff, from this bean, got the idea for this from watching oprah, idek, sassy louis and crushing harry, this is for u leslie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 09:00:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5862859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/urbangurl123/pseuds/urbangurl123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pretty much Harry is an actor who has had a crush on his neighbor Louis for a few years and after a long trip to New York, he returns with new found confidence and a need to speak with the older blue-eyed boy he is still swooning for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The offer still stands

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lou_no3x](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lou_no3x/gifts).



Harry couldn’t stop staring at him from across the room. The other boy had gotten taller over the years, his shoulders broader and wider since the last time he saw him. He remembered it like it was yesterday. He was holding his one beat up suitcase in his left hand and his plane ticket in his right as he was standing in his driveway right in front of the street, impatiently waiting for the taxi to arrive so he could finally depart from his small town and arrive in New York city to pursue an acting career. He knew he looked nervous. Hell, it was sixty-five degrees outside on a Wednesday afternoon and he was sweating profusely, the curly hairs that were falling over his forehead beginning to stick to his skin. He was shifting his weight back and forth on both sides of his body, his mum still looking at him from the window behind him with a small smile on her face and he couldn’t control his emotions. He was finally going to go for it, go for an audition for an actual show on Broadway. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to explode or jump up and down from excitement. Both options looked rather probable until his neighbor from right across opened the door of their home.

Harry found himself pausing, his attention all of a sudden falling on the blue-eyed boy that he had been crushing on for three and a half years. He realized then that he was probably never going to see Louis again, a different type of anxiety entering his body and gripping his lungs. The older boy was just going to retrieve his mail, having not a clue of Harry’s plans, simply wearing that over-sized Adidas sweater of his along with those baggy gray joggers that Harry always found to be rather admirable. Harry wanted to kiss him goodbye, wanted to ask Louis to run away with him right there and then, however, he knew that he would be rejected. The twenty-one year old only thought of Harry as his younger neighbor who at times would return his soccer ball to him when he would kick it to his front yard. God, Louis had a strong leg. And a nice arse. And a nice face. And a nice everything really. Harry was so whipped, he used to feel himself gasp when the very tips of their fingers would touch when Louis would retrieve his lost ball from the other boy’s hands.

“Going somewhere?”

Harry for a second thought he was dreaming when Louis had spoken to him from across the street. His voice was so soft and melodic even and Harry had to remind himself why he was going to New York in the first place.

After a few seconds of staring mindlessly at the boy, Harry remembered that he had to actually respond and he shook his head a little to take him out from his daze.

“Um yeah.”

Louis’ hands were grabbing the mail from the black box at the end of his yard, his eyes scanning the street before he decided to walk himself over to Harry.

Harry’s cheeks flushed immediately and his eyes widened. Louis was going to have a conversation with him, _wanted_ to have a conversation with him.

“It’s pretty chilly today, yeah?”

Louis gave Harry a soft smile, the one that looks so calm yet tears Harry a part from the inside out.

“Yeah i-it is.”

Louis nodded at his response and glanced over at his suitcase again.

“So where to?”

“W-what?”

The older boy pointed at the item in Harry’s hand and Harry was praying that his mother was no longer watching him. His encounter with the boy of his dreams was already embarrassing enough.

“Where ya headin?”

“Oh. Um New York.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah.”

Louis’ eyes met Harry’s again, the closeness between them God sent in Harry’s book.

“For how long?”

_Forever. Come with me now. We can fall in love and get married and have a nice studio apartment near a theater and I’ll become an actor and you a famous footballer and we can live happily ever after._

"I’m um not really sure.”

Louis nodded and then did the unthinkable.

 _He patted Harry’s shoulder_. Harry could still feel his touch when the boy’s hand returned to his side, the electricity lingering and overwhelming in a magical sense. God, Harry was crushing hard.

“Good luck with um whatever you’re gonna do over there.”

Harry nodded quickly for some reason, _too_ quickly.

Louis chuckled at that.

“Maybe if ya come back, we can grab a drink sometime.”

Harry’s eyes widened, and he quickly adjusted himself, attempting to keep his very little composure that he had to not humiliate himself any further.

“Maybe. Yeah.”

Louis chuckled again and since that day, no sound had been more pleasant to Harry’s ears. _He_ had caused that, that bit of happiness coming from Louis’ perfectly sculpted lips. He wished he had kissed him.

“Well, I gotta go but I’ll see ya later?”

Harry smiled genuinely that time, the kind of smile that wasn’t too awkward or panicked, just a small curve of his lip.

“Yeah. ‘course.”

And that was the last thing they said to each other until Harry returned four years later. He went to visit family, see his sister’s new engagement ring that she wouldn’t stop bragging about over the phone. He just had to see it in person and it was worth the plane ride. He was twenty-two, had longer hair that reached a bit below his shoulders, and was beginning to get side character roles at the theater near Time Square. His life was going according to plan, his new found confidence and charisma blooming and real.

Then he went to the bar one day with Gemma and her friends and he saw _him_. He looked even better than before -Harry not thinking it was possible- and his heart was hammering in his chest. Louis was still there. Louis was still living in Harry’s old town and was in the bar that he happened to go to with his sister and was just so….beautiful. Gemma had informed him that Louis was a professor at this fancy shmancy University downtown and was living with his ex-boyfriend in an apartment until they broke up and had to return to his parent’s home for a while.

He was seated at the bar by himself, downing what looked to be his third shot, a few of his hair strands falling over his eyes. Harry was beginning to wonder whether or not those eyes were still that shade of blue that reminded Harry of ocean water on a nice cold and clear day.

“Why don’t you go talk to him?” His sister had asked abruptly. her elbow shoving itself in Harry’s side.

“What, who?”

He was playing dumb, a small smile appearing on his lips when he glanced back at his sister to see her eyes rolling in annoyance.

“He _is_ single now, Harry.”

“That doesn’t mean he would be interested.”

“Harry, two of my friends have already asked me for your number. You’re not the ugliest person in the world and Louis looks like a complete loner. Go mingle a bit.”

She gave him a wink and Harry rolled his eyes at that, a small laugh releasing from his lips.

“Okay, but what if-”

Gemma kicked his shin roughly and Harry’s eyes widened.

“Are you going to be hitting me all day!?”

“Are you going to be acting like a complete wimp all day?!”

“Okay! Fine! I’ll go! Just stop hurting me, bloody hell! I am a fragile boy.”

“You poor poor thing. Now go get your man! I expect you two to be lip-locking in a few minutes so don’t disappoint.”

“We aren't animals, Gemma. We are civilized people.”

“If that’s what helps you sleep at night. Now go!”

She gave him a bit of a push, his body going forward from the light jolt.

He scowled at her for a few seconds before taking a quick sip of the martini that was in his hand. He was eyeing Louis more and more the closer he got to him. He noticed how the boy’s skin was a nice caramel colored tan, the evident stubble tracing his jaw making Harry wanna melt. Louis was different, yes. He was different too. But yet Harry also sensed that Louis still held many of those qualities that Harry had fallen for. And that was making him nervous.

“Hi.”

Louis was still seated, his eyes staring at the small glass in his dainty hands before he looked over at Harry who had a soft smile playing on his lips.

“Hey.”

Harry for a second wasn’t even sure if Louis knew who he was. However, he still didn’t back down, taking a deep breath before sitting himself right next to the other boy.

“I’m here to take you up on that offer.” He continued anxiously, placing his martini down on the counter before he flipped his hair back, away from his face. Louis’ facial expression didn’t change.

“I make a lot of offers to a lot of people. You’re gonna have to be more specific.”

Harry felt a small pain in his chest from Louis’ reply, but still kept his friendly smile.

“Four years ago, you promised me a drink when I would return from NYC.”

That got Louis’ attention, the boy’s eyebrows furrowing.

“You’re the Styles kid? My old neighbor?”

Harry nodded and Louis began to stare at him in observation, eventually chuckling to himself before calling the bartender over again. Harry felt a chill at the back of his neck. He had missed that sound, his favorite sound.

“You got taller kid.” Louis commented, grabbing one of the new shot glasses handed to him and swallowing the liquid within it quickly.

“Yeah. I guess so.”

Louis licked his lips and turned his attention back to Harry.

“And hot too.”

Harry’s cheeks flushed immediately, his throat all of a sudden feeling dry and unused. He was unsure how to respond.

“Um thank you.”

“You are very welcome.”

Harry watched attentively as Louis downed the next shot, his eyes scanning the way his throat moved as he swallowed, the way Louis’ lips would glisten when a bit of alcohol would remain afterword.

“So what do you want hot stuff?”

“W-what do you mean?”

He stuttered. Fuck.

Louis smiled at that, his eyes _knowing_.

“You obviously came here wanting something from me. So what is it? A blowjob, a hand-job, a quickie in one of the stalls?”

Harry’s eyes widened and he was wondering if he was going to get a heart attack any time soon, he could _feel_ his heart beating in his chest.

“No! No! Um I-I just wanted to talk to you. Just talk.”

Louis chuckled yet again, but this time it was different. It wasn’t warm or seductive, it was cold and was coated with something deeper, something darker.

“Talk huh? What do you think is gonna happen? You’re gonna tell me about your happy little life in the big apple and expect me to fall for you? That we’re going to be boyfriends and live happily ever after? Well let me tell you this, it isn’t gonna happen green eyes. All I do, all I’m interested in is a good fuck. So sorry to waste your time.”

Louis then snatched his wallet out from his pocket, taking out a few bills before slamming them on the counter angrily, a frown on his face to match his dead looking eyes. Harry was wondering how long ago Louis and his boyfriend had broken up. He still seemed to be affected by it.

“Louis, wait!”

Harry had gotten up quickly, his long legs almost failing him before he had balanced himself with Louis’ shoulder.

“What now?”

“Let me- let me buy you a drink sometime.”

Louis turned around, his eyes squinted and his lips separating.

“Did I not make myself clear-”

Harry smiled at him endearingly and squeezed his shoulder, Louis not objecting to the touch.

“It’s just one drink. I’m not expecting anything from it.”

Louis stared him down for a while, trying to read the boy’s true intentions, but seeming to realize that what Harry was saying was the truth. He sighed and his features calmed.

“I gotta teach a class tomorrow at eight and if I stay here any longer, I don’t think I’ll be able to function tomorrow.”

Harry’s hand fell back to his side and slid into the pocket of his black skinnies.

“Friday then.”

Louis rose an eyebrow.

“You’re not going to give up are you?”

Louis rolled his eyes, a small smile beginning to grow on his own lips.

“I’ll tell you what, Harry. I’ll give you my number and we can talk about this whole date later.”

Harry’s eyes were beginning to glow.

“However, _only_ if you memorize it. Let me see how hard you’re willing to try with this.”

Harry’s smile widened and he felt this sense of hope beginning to grow within him. Louis was going to give Harry his number and still didn’t know that Harry memorized lines for a living.

“See ya later hot stuff.” Louis spoke before winking and finally walking off.

Harry called him the next evening. He could _feel_ Louis’ satisfaction through the line.

“Was hoping you would remember.”


End file.
